San Pedro & Southwestern turns 10

San Pedro & Southwestern Railroad (SPSR) will celebrate its 10th anniversary on November 3. Based in Benson, Ariz., where it connects with Union Pacific's Los Angeles-Chicago main line, SPSR began operations in 2003 after acquiring the line from RailAmerica, Inc. (now Genesee & Wyoming, Inc.).

San Pedro & Southwestern's oldest predecessor goes back 125 years to 1888 when the Arizona and South Eastern Railroad laid 60 miles of track from Benson to Bisbee, Ariz., eventually becoming part of the Southern Pacific.

"We're proud to have played an integral role developing southeastern Arizona's economy and being a good neighbor to the towns and cities we serve," said Paul Thomas, vice president of operations for ARG Transportation Services, SPSR's parent company. "Our goal is to continue using the resources at hand to grow the business, increase employment, operate in a safe, injury-free manner and be responsible stewards of our environment."

San Pedro & Southwestern's chief traffic sources are agricultural chemicals, feed grains and building products interchanged with the UP at Benson, Willcox and Casa Grande, Ariz.